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Monday, April 11, 2016

I've just submitted a creator-owned comic book to a publisher, and I have high hopes. I don't want to give anything away at the moment, but it's an idea that's been brewing for a long time. I'm also writing a thriller for Thomas Dunne, the same house that published STAY. I'm also trying to build on the momentum of the INK MAGE books by writing another fantasy novel. As a kid, fantasy was my first genre as a reader, so I feel really at home.

Who and/or what is your greatest inspiration?

Oh ... I don't know. I really admire filmmakers who get me excited about storytelling. Is "admire" the same as "inspire"? I love western by John Ford and Anthony Man and Sergio Leone. Billy wilder is awesome. David Lean too. Tarantino and the Coen Brothers.

How has social media changed your industry?

It's nice to click the mouse and BANG thousands of people on Twitter or Facebookknow about your new book at a single pop. Does it make a big difference? I really don't know. But you can go to a review or article and CLICK share it on Twitter or Google+ or wherever. You never know when something might go viral. But I'm no expert. Maybe it's all a waste of time. I do like connecting with sharp, amiable readers.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a writer?

Read, read, read, read, read. Soak it in. understand how your fave authors create character and plot and setting. Resist excuses to NOT write. "Too tired. Too busy." Naw, you have to make the time.

How does someone overcome writer's block?

I'm not sure I believe in writer's block. That makes it sound like some outside force is controlling your brain. Have I had a bad writing day (or week) where it just wasn't coming? Sure. But was I blocked? I feel like maybe I was tired or burned out or distracted by some life event. But not blocked.

What do you think the landscape of creator owned content will look like in ten years?

Not a clue. I don't even know what I'm having for dinner later. No crystal ball here. I hope it will still be going strong.

What's the greatest thing about Disney?

The totally immersed vibe. I mean, at some point (if you go regularly) you've been on all the rides and seen all the shows. So what keeps me going back? Really, the feeling that I'm stepping into some other reality. I can shut off the "real word" for a while and just be somewhere else. Drinking beer at Epcot is also fun.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Below is my interview with John of Super Megafest Comic Con. This years convention takes place at the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham MA on Saturday November 21st and Sunday November 22nd. Below are some of Super Megafest's social media sites:

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Rhode Island Comic Con is produced by Altered Reality Entertainment. Beginning in 2012, we are now in our fourth year at the Rhode Island Convention Center. This year's show runs November 6th through the 8th. It is our first year as a three-day show, and we have expanded our floor space to include the Dunkin Donuts Center arena right next door.

Featured guests include:

· Carrie Fisher, in her first Northeast convention appearance. With her, we have 12 other actors from the Star Wars franchise.

· Ron Perlman, along with 6 others from the Fox series Sons of Anarchy.

But that isn't all. Rhode Island Comic Con fans will enjoy meeting over 100 celebrities from Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Dr. Who and The Walking Dead, and comic book industry professionals including Chris Claremont, Neal Adams and Mike Grell, just to name a few.

Events over the course of the three days will include a cosplay masquerade, panels, Q&As with the guests as well as gaming and after parties. Couples can even get married, or renew their vows right on the convention floor.

How is it different from other conventions?

Rhode Island Comic Con strives to appeal to all segments of fandom, and age groups. Our goal is allow fans to relive their childhoods, whether they are 60 or 16.

We also offer a Kids Con for our younger attendees. And we are planning a costume contest where the Best in Show prize is $2000.

Why did you decide to create Rhode Island Comic Con?

Quite simply, Rhode Island needed a show like ours. Prior to our beginning, the state offered no event like ours for the thousands of fans who have attended in the past three years, and will attend this year.

What do you think the convention will look like in 10 years?

With the growth we have had in the last four years, the sky is the limit. We will continue to grow and evolve, offering something new each year as fandom evolves.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

We encourage anyone who enjoys comics, movies, toys, television, or even just cosplay to come to our show and have a great time.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Joseph Mallozzi is a producer and writer, known for Stargate SG-1 (1997), Stargate: Atlantis (2004) and Dark Matter (2015).

What is your new show Dark Matter about?

- Six individuals wake up from stasis aboard a ship with no memory of who they are or how they go onboard. The series will explore their search for answers.

How would you handle being in the same situation as the crew?

- Pretty much the same way they do. There aren't a lot of options. You have to rely on those around you, take a leap of faith that they are being honest with you, and hope for the best...but be very careful.

How did writing and producing Stargate prepare you for Dark Matter?

- Stargate was an incredible learning experience for me. Over the 12 years I spent on the franchise, I learned how to produce a series, from script to edit. From a creative standpoint, my time on Stargate also taught me the importance of character, relationship, team dynamics, and humor - all of which I've applied to Dark Matter.

Why did you decide to start your blog?

- Originally, my blog was intended to be a food journal of a two week trip to Asia. Upon my return, I decided to keep it going and include other elements of my life, specifically my work on Stargate. I approached it as an exercise. Blogging forced me to write and the only way to improve as a writer is to keep writing. And so, I've continued this exercise - for over eight years now, and have yet to miss a day.

What's your favorite comic of all time?

- Hmmm. That's a tough one. If we're talking single issues, I'd go with Deadpool #11 written by Joe Kelly, a brilliant time travel tale that has our contemporary Deadpool visiting the pages of The Amazing Spiderman #47. Avengers Annual #7, in which Adam Warlock and co. meet their demise and meet again in the afterlife of the gem stone, has stayed with me for decades. Uncanny X-Men #137, Phoenix Must Die, was a seminal story that encompassed all I loved about comics at the time.

- If we're talking favorite comic book series of all time...it's tough because quality fluctuates, writers come and go. I loved Ed Brubaker's Daredevil, Joe Kelly's Deadpool, and Mark Waid's The Flash - off the top of my head.

- If I had to stick to Desert Island picks, those trade paperbacks I'd bring with me if I was to spend my remaining days stranded alone with nothing to do but read and re-read: Watchmen, The Killing Joke, Saga: Omnibus.

What writers and/or producers are you a fan of?

- There a number of authors I enjoy reading: John Scalzi, Joe Abercrombie, Alastair Reynolds, Catherine Webb (as Claire North). I can't say I'm a fan of any one "producer".

Who would win in an arm wrestling contest between you and Jay Firestone?

- Jay obviously. The guy is so determined. When he sets his mind to something, he's unstoppable.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Choo is a convention reporter for TheyearofHalloween.com and also writes for Superficialgallery.com. Her love of the horror genre started at a young age which also led to her being grounded several times for sneaking into scary movies…She has covered several conventions over the years and has most recently started volunteering with The Walker Stalkers at their conventions (which just happens to be her favorite).

When she is not writing, being silly on social media (@Choofabulous) or chasing down cool people to interview she likes to hang out with the guy she married, the two boys she birthed, and her two miniature dachshunds that think they are pitbulls. She calls Charlotte, NC her home….for now.

What do you like to do besides writing, reporting or interviewing?

I really like just hanging out. I spend a lot of time with my boys (11 and 5) and my husband. I have a few girlfriends I like to get together with and just complain about everything in general (kidding). I like to watch movies and just be a regular human. I am always looking for a new adventure.How would you explain Walker Stalker Con to a first timer?

You are going to have the time of your life! Everyone is so approachable and kind and they make the experience like their first time as well. The celebrities are so appreciative of their fans and just really love to be there as well. I would tell them to pace themselves and try not to get overwhelmed, there is always someone on hand to guide you and help you get to where you need to go.

What's the most interesting thing that's happened to you at a convention?

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. There are so many interesting characters at conventions. The Cosplayers are incredible and like actors they rarely come out of character and some of them can be scary! I think one of the coolest things to happen was Bruce Campbell giving my husband and I marriage advice the day before we got married!

Do you ever get nervous when interviewing celebrities?

Nope! I look at it this way. They are people just like everyone else and what they do is the profession they have chosen to do. It would be like getting nervous before interviewing a plumber. The editors for the sites I work for always ask me to try to get the interviews because they say I am not scared to ask anybody questions. I think the only thing that really makes me nervous is if I don’t feel like I am familiar enough with their work to ask an educated question. I try to do a lot of research before I approach someone for an interview. I am not a big fan of the sound of crickets so I try to be on top of things.

What are the Walker Stalkers James & Eric like?

Those two guys are fantastic. I am pretty sure the energizer bunny got his inspiration from THEM! I swear they must bleed coffee because they are always on. They want everyone to have a great time even if it costs them days without sleep. I worked with Eric pretty closely at the Chicago convention and I think we are both a tad OCD which served us well. James never stops moving! I kind of think of him as the blur you see buzzing by and he always has great shoes ;) They both just have this overwhelming desire to make people smile and help make memories for people who may not otherwise get the chance to participate in such events. I am so happy I have gotten to know them pretty well over the past year.

Will you explain how your obsession with shoes started?

Hahaha! I think I need a therapist couch for this one. I have always loved shoes because of the variety available. My mom says that whenever it was time to go school shopping I always made a bee-line for the shoe department. Nothing makes you feel better than a new pair of shoes and as a female who struggled with body image issues…no matter how big the rest of you gets…your feet stay the same size! Obviously my favorites are Jimmy Choo, but I also love Manolo’s …neither of which I can afford..so my friends just started calling me Choo.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever gotten?

It’s sounds incredibly cliché but my husband telling me “Go for it, you only live once” really struck a nerve with me. The past year has been probably the most exciting one I have had in a long time. My kids are old enough that I can leave for a few days for a convention and not feel wrecked with guilt. This things that I do and the people I get to meet excites me. A lot of times my family is able to come along and my kids get to meet the people that they see on television and in the movies as well and they think that is really cool. I like to think that they see me doing what I love now in my 40’s and will not wait quite as long to pursue what they love. Is there anything you'd like to add?

If there is anyone out there reading this that has never been to a convention add it to your bucket list. It is the one time that there is a room full of people with similar interests as yours and you may make some new friends out of it. I know I sure did!

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Paul Hornschemeier is the author of the critically acclaimed graphic
novels "Mother, Come Home," "The Three Paradoxes", and the New York
Times Best Seller "Life with Mr. Dangerous," as well as the short story
collections "Let Us Be Perfectly Clear" and "All and Sundry." His most
recent collection, "Artists Authors Thinkers Directors" groups 100
portraits from his art blog "The Daily Forlorn," a featured illustration
blog on Tumblr.

His prose and comics have been translated into eight languages and
garnered international awards and have appeared in publications
ranging from Life Magazine to The Wall Street Journal.
He has taught art and creative writing for The University of Chicago
and lectured internationally on art, literature, and modern media.

His animation and artwork appears on IFC’s “Comedy Bang! Bang!”, now
in its second season. He recently wrote, directed, and produced a live
action short, "Daniel in the Factory," based on his feature script of
the same name, and is developing a variety of live action and animated
programs for television.

He lives and works in Boston, Massachusetts. He and his wife have a cat. And a kid. The kid really loves that cat.

Giant Sloth is a short animated film. It’s a combination of all my
interests, ranging from surrealist filmmaking to bizarre, dusty museum
exhibits, to animation from the 60s, to dark comedy, to… well, a lot of
things. So let’s just say it’s a short animated film about a museum
curator whose life is being pulled out from under him and he’s being
dumped into a modern world he’s scared of and has avoided by choice. In
response to all this: he starts seeing things, daydreaming, and just
generally losing his mind.

How have your previous projects prepared you to make this film?

I feel like my previous projects always prepare for whatever it is
I’m currently working on, though that’s never by conscious plan. I
stumbled into animation and film, thought those are two things I’ve
always loved…

I’ve been writing and drawing graphic novels for over a decade and
have been working in animation for the past four years. I did the
animation on IFC’s Comedy Bang! Bang! and I write and direct a weekly
animated web series on YouTube, Forlorn TV. I’ve also been working in
writing screenplays and directing small films for a couple years. One of
the (live action) shorts is available through this campaign. So… all of
that has fed, in one way or another, into Giant Sloth.

How did you choose your cast and crew?

Casting Paul Giamatti was first. I had the idea for Giant Sloth a
while ago, several years ago, I think. But it wasn’t until I started
working with Paul and his production company (Touchy Feely) that the
idea rose back up in the pecking order of projects. I really just had a
treatment about a year ago, so when I wrote the script, I was really
writing for Paul. Which was such a huge relief when he responded to the
script and wanted to do it.

Jason Mantzoukas was someone I knew through
Scott Aukerman, just on a mutual respect level (Jason’s a comic book
enthusiast, and I love all his comedy). I had wanted to figure out a way
to work with him and his voice is just about one of the best comedic
voices out there…

Robert Popper was someone I actually connected with through twitter,
again just out of mutual admiration for our work. He and I actually
recorded another little film together that I’ll hopefully announce more
about soon. After we did that and I still had an opening for the jerky
boss, I had to have him in that role. Thankfully he said yes.

Kate McKinnon and I have the same manager. So, that was just a matter
of my/her manger handing her the script and Kate liking it enough to
sign on. I think she’s THE BEST person to come along on Saturday Night
Live in a while.

Although I’m working with Scott on other projects, I was probably the
most hesitant to approach him to be in the film, just because he’s such
a phenomenally busy guy. The amount of granite-solid comedy content
he’s producing right now is just… it’s amazing. I’m assuming he never
sleeps and owns at least a couple time machines/clones.

As for the crew, which in my mind is no less amazing than the cast:
those are all people that I’ve been insanely lucky to have worked with
on either Comedy Bang! Bang! or my own film projects. The talent in that
crew is unbelievable. Every one of them is such a creative genius.
Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. But I think that’s the job of the
director: to hire people who are better than you in their specific
department. It only improves the film.

What would you say are the pros and cons to crowdfunding?

The cons are lack of sleep, rising blood pressure… I’m not sure of
any real cons beyond that. I think the rewards for backers, that part is
a bit hard to figure out when you’re putting a campaign together. If
you’re create a tangible product people can go out and use (the new
tooth vacuum!… no idea what that would be), I think it’s a little
easier, but with an art piece or an experience, it’s a bit tougher. So
some of the budget has to go into making physical manifestations of that
experience.

But that’s part of the fun too, designing those things to offer as
rewards. Or anyway, it’s a lot of fun for me. And that brings me to the
big BIG up side of crowd funding: no middle men deciding those things
for you. I mean, I suppose kickstarted itself is technically a
middleman, but not having any majorly invested entity getting between
you and your potential audience (and in fact potentially growing your
audience during and after the campaign)? That’s amazing. It’s allowing
so many great, bizarre ideas to get off the ground, when before they
would have just puttered around and died from lack of finding an
audience and lack of funding.

What advice you give to someone who wants to become an animator?

My background is comics, and I think that’s a great place to start if
you’re interested in animation or film. Animation and film are
certainly their own beasts, but learning how to tell a story with words
and pictures sequentially takes a long, long time, and it’s a bit faster
to tell a longer story through comics than it is to animate the entire
thing. And I think comics gives you a sense of editing, of using the cut
to tell the story. In between each panel in comics, you have this sort
of cut…

Otherwise, I’d just say that if you want to be an animator: animate.
Do the thing you want to do, and do it every day. It’s the only way
anyone ever improves. Every day: work at your work.

How has becoming a father changed you as an artist?

I think the biggest thing he gives me is perspective. I don’t think
my storytelling or the things I’m drawn to narratively have changed much
at all, but the lens through which I perceive my life/work balance is
different. My son is a walking manifestation of wonder, and it’s
impossible to be around him and not slow down a little and really take
time to look at all the amazing small details in daily life. I may have
done that before to a degree, but he offers a different sort of calm to
the whole enterprise of just being in the moment. And laughing at your
own farts, of course.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Jonas Salk, the creator of the polio vaccine, married Pablo Picasso’s muse, Francoise Gilot. Use that information wisely.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Peter Simeti is the publisher of Alterna Comics and is the creator/writer/and co-artist of The Chair graphic novel.You can follow him on twitter @petersimeti

What is "The Chair" about?

The
CHAIR's story follows Richard Sullivan, a death row inmate who's been
witnessing a lot of his fellow inmates getting tortured and killed at
the hands of the prison's insane and sadistic Warden. Not much has
necessarily happened to Sullivan in this prison, but he figures he must
be next in line because the prisoner count is dwindling. With that in
mind, he decides he needs to fight, even kill, to survive. In doing so,
he's pushed to the brink of his own sanity and the story just goes from
there.

Why did you create the graphic novel?

I
created the initial idea of it as kind of an "artist outlet" because I
was pissed off after hearing about some psycho that killed a bunch of
kids in a daycare or a school. For whatever reason, the story just hit
me at a bad time. I mean, why on Earth do people do these kinds of
things? Anyway, I had created the character of the Warden kind of out of
a wish-fulfillment sorta thing. A character that could do horrible
shit to vicious scumbags that deserved it. The conflict of The CHAIR
though, is that we're told that Richard Sullivan is an innocent man on
death row and he's in for the same fate that everyone else has been
getting.

Why do you want to make a film adaptation of graphic novel?

Aside
from the fact that it would just be cool to see great actors bring
these characters to life, I think The CHAIR is a story worth telling as
it touches on a lot of different themes. Child abuse, capital
punishment, the ethics of torture, the political argument about the
humane treatment of convicted killers that didn't get that option to
their victims, and mental health - these are all part of The CHAIR's
story. It's not just a straight-up horror film where someone is killing
a bunch of unsuspecting group of people that are all too stupid to
fight their way out of a paper bag - The CHAIR has a lot of strong
psychological elements to it and the characters have a lot of depth.

Because
for the most part, there's nothing else like it. It's a tremendously
useful tool to gauge interest in your project (as long as proper word
gets out) and it also allows you to gain the interest of people you
might have never reached in the first place.

Why should people support your project?

Hopefully they support it because they like the story presented!

I'm not looking for pity dollars, haha, I'm not going to say that this project will save lives.

It
is what it is - a psychological horror film based on a graphic novel
that has a great cast and crew, an entertaining story for fans of that
genre, and something that will hopefully take you away for 90 minutes
and get your adrenaline pumping!

What is the casting process like?

The
casting process consisted of reaching out directly to actors and agents
and for the most part, 90% of the cast was attached through social
media. Literally, I'd tweet to actors or send them a facebook message
to see if they would be interested in coming on board. Even the actors
that respectfully declined, were just so nice about it! I figured, as
long as I'm respectful and honest, the worst that can happen is that
they say "no". We were fortunate enough to attract a lot of amazing
actors and talented crew members to this project.

How have your previous projects prepared you to make this one?

Comics
and film are so different but so similar. In terms of prep and
promotion, it's sort of the same. But that's kind of where the
similarities end. A film is just an all encompassing thing. I think
that's part of the "movie-making magic" - the fact that people who
aren't involved in creating it, will just have no idea whatsoever of how
arduous a task it is to create something that you can watch for 90
minutes or more. And then if it's actually something you like or even
love, that's even harder to do. Movies and comics are all about
creating circumstances that are exaggerations of reality, sometimes it's
an extreme exaggeration and sometimes it's a small one, but it's always
*just* removed from realism. It's a chance to make the impossible,
possible - and that's pretty awesome.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to create a graphic novel &/or film?

Well, I think if you're not prepared for the time and energy commitment that it takes (for instance, I get up at around 7 or 8am and work till around 2am
or so...) then this isn't the life for you. You have to be obsessed,
on almost a mentally ill level, haha. You just need to create as much,
if not more than, your need to eat or sleep. There's times that I go to
bed and I'm just pissed that I have to because I'd rather get stuff
done. It's that "workaholic" mentality - I hate that that kind of
mentality is kind of looked down on so much now though, because it's the
mark of a passionate person. It's not an anti-social thing, it's not a
distant person thing - it's a passion thing. It's someone whose drive
is so unrelenting that simple words like "no" and "you can't" don't stop
them. That's who you have to be.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Sure,
I'd just like to thank everyone for being so supportive of this film,
for the cast & crew that believe in it, for Erin Kohut for doing a
great job turning a 22-year-old's comic book prison story into a fleshed
out living breathing screenplay years later, and I'd like to say that
there's a lot more to come, a lot more awesomeness. So please check out
our Kickstarter, be a part of comic and film history and say hello on
twitter @petersimeti and @thechairhorror. Above all, keep reading
comics!